Well-drilling apparatus



Jan. 20. 1925. 1,523,629

A. BULLOCK WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed March 28. 1921 2 Sheets$heet 1 A. BULLOCK WELL DRILLING APPARATUS 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BULLOCK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WELL-DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT BULLOCK, a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invent ed new and useful WVell-Drilling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to deep well drilling and particularly relates to apparatus used in both rotary and reciprocating drilling operations.

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for the drilling of wells in which the operating power is applied at a point very near to the drilling tool, thereby eliminating a larger portion of the friction as encountered in present methods of drilling and consequently reducing expenditures for the replacement of broken parts to a minimum, as well as materially reducing the amount of power being consumed in the operation of the drilling tools.

In the present methods of rotary drilling, much delay is caused by the breaking of drills and drill tubing and an enormous overconsumption of power is caused by the friction between the drill tubing and the soft mud that is being washed out and carried up through the well by the flow of water which is used for such purposes.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an apparatus, the use of which will make unnecessary the employment of surface revolving and reciprocating apparatus and great lengths of drill tubing, with the result that losses due to breakage and loss of parts will be overcome and a very material etliciency of operation will therefore become evident.

I attain the objects of my invention in the use of a device which may be inserted into a well in the process of drilling and which will have incorporated therein means for revolving and reciprocating a tool shank adapted to receive any of the standard forms of drilling tools.

\Vith reference to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only, and are intended to present merely an embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l. is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the apparatus I employ, as it is used in connection with the sinking of the well casing as the drilling progresses.

Serial No. 456,325.

Fig. 2. is a section taken vertically through the apparatus and easing shoe used in connection with the drilling method illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3. is a detail of cable drum, showing manner in which the electric conductors of the cable are connected with an exterior circuit.

Fig. 4. is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus in application to the sinking of wells without the use of well casing.

Fig. 5. is a section through the apparatus taken on a plane represented by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6. is an elevational detail of the tool shank and conical roller bearing. This detail is provided to better illustrate the manner in which reciprocative movement is imparted to the tool shank.

Fig. 7. is a section of the apparatus taken on a plane represented by the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8. is a section through the apparatus and the casing shoe, and is taken on a plane represented by the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9. is a fragmentary View of the cable I employ and illustrates the manner in which the hose is at intervals attached to the cable by clamps.

Fig. 10. is a cross section through the ca ble shown in Fig. 9.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

In Fig. 1 a drilling tool 11 embodying my invention is shown in operation in a well casing 12, the lower end of which constitutes a special form of easing shoe to prevent the counter rotation of the tool 11 as will hereinafter be set forth. In certain in stances where the condition of the strata will permit it is customary to drill to the full depth of the well before inserting the well casing and in such instances a leader casing 25 is used to carry the drillin o eration through the soft soil and sent. he diagrammatic illustration Fig. 4 shows my drilling tool in this application.

The apparatus I employ comprises essentially a shell 11 in which is placed a motor consisting of a revolvable armature 13 and a stationary field 14. The armature punchings are mounted on a hollow shaft 12 having mounted on its lower end a gear 15 in mesh with planetar) gears 16 mounted on pins 16 whieh extend from a plate 20 The planetary gears 16 are eontined by and are in mesh with a ring gear 17.

The plate i which mounts the planetary gears has downwardly extending therefrom a short shaft J3 on whioh is mounted another gear 17 and has surrounding it plan etar gears it and an internal ring gear 1?. A plate iii mounting the lower set of planetary gears in has extending downwardly therefrom a short shaft 30 which extends through a suitable bearing 2t} and which is slotted to engage with an extension 27 protruding from the drill shank 32 from which upwardly extends a water tube 31.

The drill shank 32 is sup 'iorted in a hearing 19 which is also formed to brovide a cone plate and forms with a plate 4t), mounted on the drill shank 3i, and the conical rollers 41, a roller bearing to resist the reaction of the drill shank when in operation. To prevent the intlow of water I provide packing 2 which is enclosed and put under pressure by a gland nut The drill shank is proyided with a standard female tool joint it, and water supplied through the water tube 31 is delivered to the tool throu h a passage 43 formed within the drill shank 32.

I By the gearing arrangement heretofore leSti'iheal. the motor speed may be redi'iced to that desired for drilling purposes and any number of sets of reduction gears may he employed to accomplish this purpose in addition to the two sets I have shown.

The drilling tool is lowered into the well and supported therein by a cable gripped by a clamp 51 mounted on the top of the too]v I desire to direct especial attention to the construction of the \Jftltlt} I employ as it eiiihodies new and distinctive features in the proyision ot' a weight sustaining and eloetrie current conducting means As shown in Figures 9 and 10, I use a cable which provides a core 10o formed of stranded insulated wires 101 twisted to provide resiliency when the cable is passing over a sheave and the Weight Sustaining element eonsists of an exterior Winding of stranded tilllit'Fi 1H2. The weight sustain- 111g structure of the table, it) is discontinued upon passLiig through the clamp 51 and the eore ltiti mmprising the insulated conductor 1 1 is passed down through a gland into the interior of the drilling tool.

Water to lubricate the drilling hit and to earry otf tho cuttings therefrom is supplied thr ugh a hose 5?, adapted to be supported upon the able fit) by clamps lt l and prijiyided in suitable lengths and joined by standard eouplings; and which makes connection with my drilling tool as indicated at T t discharging into a chamber 35 formed in the eup member 56 by a part tion 57. It will he noticed that the water tube 31 enters the chamber through a stutling box 60 and that the water delivered into the chamber 5.5 through the hose 5:; may pass through the water tube 5 1 into the passage 45 of the drill shank from whence it is supplied to whatever drill bit is being used.

Within the easing of the drilling tool the wires 101 are carried down through a chamber 58 formed in the cup 50 and passing through insulators 01 and t3: are conneeted to brushes t'iu which bear upon a commutator as having connection with the different windings of the armature.

When drilling at great depths the pressure of the column of water aeting upon the exterior of the tool would he sutlicient t overcome the etiieieney of the paeking glands and water would be forced into the interior of said tool. In order that an iiiterior pressure may he created to resist the influx of water, I provide a tontaiiier 6.3 which may he filled with soiiie sul'istanee, slirh as anhyiilrous ammonia, and whieh isconnected to a pressure regulator or throu h iping o7. preferably of the diaphragm type and may be set t maintain the interior of the tool at a slightly higher pressure than exists on the exterior thereby maintaining a slight merflowing tendency through the stutting boxes.

The cable 50 extending over a sheave T 5 is adapted to be Wound upon a drum T6 and ctiinnection is made through collection rings 77. T8 and T9 to an exterior cirouit 51 and S2. The connection between the cable Fit) and the colleett'ir rings is illustrated diagraminatieally at f, 81 and Si) in Fig. 3.

I have found that an upward and downward reciprocation of the drill bit in combinatioli with the relation of Same is produetive of much greater speed in reiiioyiiig material and I provid for a (jUllllJlllIltl ll f these inoreiiients by a eain form of cone plate .130 as illustrated in t. and I use a spring tit) acting between the lower eono plate 4t! and the hearing J1 to hold the drill shank normally in a raised p sition The plate 3) is eontoured 7t) on its content face 71 as illustrated; and the rollers 41 alternately m unt and rei'ede thereon their:- y pr viding the desired ieeiproi-atiou.

in the application wherein it is iieressaiw to sink the well easing as the drilling progresses l proyide the arrangi-ineut illus trated in Figures 1 and J wherein l show a casing shoe 1) provided iiith iiiteriorallr extending lugs 110 which are adapted to engage out uardly extending lugs 1H3) on the shell 11 and thereby prevent any rountcrrotation of ihe drilling tool and also proi'ide a guiding means for same.

It is quite often that conditions permit This pressure regulator 00 istill of sinking the hole to great depths beforeit becomes necessary to insert casing. In such instances I adapt my invention as illustrated in Fig. 4. To prevent the counter rotation and to guide the tool on its downward course I use standard drill tubing 120suitably attached 1:21 to the tool 11. In this application the drill tubing serves as a means of conveying the wash out water to its point of application and is attached to an exterior supply, not shown, as indicated at 122, and as the increased capacity of the drill tubing permits a greater flow of water, I also provide additional distributing pipes 123 to deliver the water to the drill bit.

The cable I employ has a much broader application than that which is shown, as in the case of electrically operated elevators. lly its employment all necessity for underhanging cables as are now in use would become eliminated and a more satisfactory installation would result both from the standpoint of economy and engineering practice.

As my invention I claim:

bination of: a drill bit; means for suspending said drill bit in operating position, and means between said drill bit and said suspending means adapted to continuously rotate and reciprocate said drill bit.

in well drilling apparatus, the combination of: a drill bit, a cable comprising a weight sustaining and current conducting element: and means between said drill bit and said cable adapted to continuously r0- tate and reciprocate said drill bit.

I}. In a well drilling tool: a shell; a drill bit: a drill shank rotatably mounted within said shell and adapted to receive said drill bit; a motor within said shell; gears between said drill shank and said motor to rotate said drill shank; a water supply connection from an exterior source to said well drilling tool; and means for conveying water to said drill bit.

4. In a well drilling tool: a, shell; a drill bit: a drill shank rotatably mounted within said shell and adapted to receive said drill bit; a motor within said shell; gears between said drill shank and said motor to rotate said drill shank; a water supply connection from an exterior source to said well drilling tool; means for conveying water to said drill bit; a pressure tank within said shell; and a diaphragm valve adapted to maintain an equal or slightly greater pressure within said shell than exists on the outside thereof by discharging a. portion of the contents of said pressure tank into the interior of said shell.

5. In a well drilling tool: a shell; a drill bit; a drill shank rotatably mounted within said shell and adapted to receive said drill bit; a motor within said shell; gears between said drill shank and said motor to rotate said drill shank; a water supply connection from an exterior source to said well drilling tool; means for conveying water to said drill bit; a pressure tank within said shell; a diaphragm valve adapted to maintain an equal or slightly greater pressure within said shell than exists on the outside thereon by discharging a portion of the contents of said pressure tank into the interior of said shell; a cone plate mounted on said drill shank; a cone plate providing an undulating conical surface; and cone rollers adapted to operate between said cone plates.

6. In a well drilling tool: a shell; a drill bit; a drill shank rotatably mounted within said shell and adapted to receive said drill bit; a motor within said shell; gears between said drill shank and said motor to rotate said drill shank; a water supply connection from an exterior source to said Well drilling tool; means for conveying water to said drill bit; a pressure tank within said shell; a diaphragm valve adapted to I maintain an equal or slightly greater pres- 1. In well drilling apparatus, the comsure Within said shell tha exists on the outside thereon by discharging a portion of the contents of said pressure tank into the interior of said shell; a cone plate mounted on said drill shank; a cone plate providing an undulating conical surface; cone rollers adapted to operate between said cone plates: and means to guide and prevent the countor-rotation of said tool when in operation.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a shell: rotative and reciprocative mechanism within said shell; and means contained within said shell for maintaining a pressure within said shell substan tially equal to the external pressure acting upon said shell.

8. In a. de ice of the class described, the combination of: shell; operative mechanism within said shell; and means contained within said shell for maintaining a pressure within said shell substantially equal to the external pressure acting upon said shell.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a shell: rotative and reciprocative mechanism within said shell; and diaphragm controlled means for maintaining a pressure within said shell substantially equal to the external pressure acting upon said shell.

10. In. a device of the class described, the combination of: a shell; operative mechanism within said shell; and diaphragm controlled means for maintaining a pressure within said shell substantially equal to the external pressure acting upon said shell.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a shell; rotative and reciprocative mechanism within said shell; diaphragm controlled means for maintaining a pressure. within said shell substantially the presence of two subscribin equal to the external said shell; and means or carrying a supply of lubricating fluid to the drill bit operated a by said device.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California, in

g ressure acting upon this eighteenth day of March, 1921.

witnesses ALBERT BULLOCK.

Witnesses:

JESSE P. WHANN, LILLIAN MARGUERITE WHANN. 

